Despite his falling out with "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy director Peter Jackson, who sued New Line regarding "The Fellowship of the Ring," New Line founder and co-chairman Robert K. Shaye is pressing ahead and eyeing a 2009 release for The Hobbit.

The New York Times interviewed Shaye last week and said:

And he would not comment on reports in the news media that the "Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi had been asked to direct "The Hobbit." He said, however, that although there was no workable script yet for the film, he intended to release it in 2009.

Step two: preproduction, like hiring everybody and building props and sets

Step three: production, like actually filming the movie

Step four: post production, like assembling a rough cut and scoring the music.

Step five: distribution, like publicity and release.

So 2009 is just two years away and they haven't even finished development?????

Well, I suppose it could happen. After all, "Jesse James Meets Frankenstein’s Daughter" was shot in eight days by William "One Take" Beaudine and look what a classic that was. And that same year screenwriter Carl Hittleman (writer of "Sheena, Queen of the Jungle") had already churned out the script for its prequel, "Billy the Kid Versus Dracula".

It only goes to show that "quick and dirty" does not necessarily mean that the film is going to be gosh-awful. (But that's usually the way to bet.) I shall be telling this with a sigh Sometime hours and hours hence: In The Green Dragon two ales could buy And drank the one less filling I And that has made all the difference.

The answer to my question: A rushed studio pushed picture. What I meanby studio pushed is that the film didn't grow out of anybody's desire to be creative or they had a story they loved or something they really wanted to bring to the screen but it's a property, a franchise, that the studio sees as a cash cow. Moooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

So, now they are probably close to pre-production, or in it in some early stage, without a script! I can't fathom going forward on a film unless there was a clear vision shared between studio, writer and director and it had been road-mapped in a finished script, or perhaps a script that needs only minor revisions. (Not a shooting script but at least a script that everybody is happy with.)

I really like the choice of Raimi, as I think he probably has lots of love for the property - he is more a geek than many of us - but going forward without a script scrambles my brain. It may have a budget, it may have a director but it doesn't have a script?!

More than anything I have heard so far, this makes me think this is a road map for disaster. Raimi may have the ability to pull something off still, he knows his genre directing, but I was kinda hoping for more than something decent, I was crossing my fingers for greatness.

Now, my fondest dream is that NL Cinema makes this Hobbit and the MGM/UA conglomoration goes ahead with a second PJ helmed Hobbit. But crikey! That may be something like 2112! (Which gives us plenty of time to organize world-wide line parties.)

If we live in trying times, we must be the ones who try. If the future is looking dark, we must be the ones who shine.

He's got a few buzzing his, too. He's also trying to cover himself for his tantrum a while back by sounding like things are moving forward and he's got things under control. He'll come around in the end.

I'd love to hear conversations between Michael Lynne, Mark Ordesky and him. I wouldn't think they'd be too happy being painted into a corner by Shaye's other comments.

IF IF IF NL doesn't come around, I think Peter will create 2 films (maybe co-producing) in collaboration with MGM and probably have Zaentz hovering in the shadows. I also predict they'll have a working script (which I think they already have begun work on in a roughing out stage) and pre-production noise going on in 2 years... ready to hit the ground running with the clock runs out on NL and regardless of what they may be working on. I think "There And Back Again: A Hobbit's Tale" has a very nice RING to it ;) They've got the locations, the sets, the writers, the props... everything ready to go. You know they toyed with the idea of The Hobbit when they were filming LotR, which is why they've kept the hobbit holes, props, etc. Cripes, Bag End is in Peter's back yard, right?

Rami may be a geek, but that doesn't mean he has the sensitivity and respect for the work like Wingnut. We'd have another Hollywood movie. Oh goodie!

I know there are many who would be very happy to see Peter out of the picture, so to speak... but geez!

Each cloak was fastened about the neck with a brooch like a green leaf veined with silver. `Are these magic cloaks?' asked Pippin, looking at them with wonder. `I do not know what you mean by that,' answered the leader of the Elves.

...is your point about the possibility of a SECOND Hobbit.... At least if one is made which isn't good, it leaves the way open (ignoring for a moment all rights issues!) for someone else to make a good one in years to come. If someone else makes the 'definitive' version then what hope have we of ever seeing PJ's Hobbit? (Or I'm secretly hoping that my own directing career will have moved forward enough that I might get to make my own Hobbit... )

With all the statements coming out of Robert Shaye's mouth as of late, I am starting to lose interest in the Hobbit as a movie. If New Line goes ahead without Jackson (and it looks like they are insane enough to do it), it will kill the franchise not only for me, but many others out there. I might still watch the hobbit when it comes out, but only if I don't have to pay for it. So... take that Robert Shaye.

Well, it's well know here that I sincerely want PJ to do "The Hobbit"..
[In reply to]

Can't Post

but can it really be said that they had a working script as they did LotR? I understood they were laying down track as the locomotive was coming. Thing is, only really clever adapters can work that way. They showed they were clever, even dating back to their oscar nom for adapting the facts of Heavenly Creatures into a movie. But can the same be said of Raimi? Lord Peter Wimsey's Main Squeeze

... for a new team to do a good job with the Hobbit in less than two years than if PJ and co. were to do it. I mean, PJ already has a head start on the locations, and props from Weta that were left over from the LOTR movies. And it would also take PJ less time to get all the actors needed on board for the movie, as the actors will not be quite so eager to join a PJ-less Hobbit project, especially a rushed one at that.